Download a PDF of COHS Clinical Faculty Policy
Boise State University College of Health Sciences Policy 217
Effective Date:
May, 2019
Last Revision Date:
April, 2023
Responsible Party:
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, (208) 426-1202
Office of the Dean of College of Health Sciences
Scope and Audience:
Applies to all College of Health Sciences Clinical Faculty and academic administrators.
Additional Authority:
Idaho State Board of Education Policy, Section II.G.
1. Policy Purpose:
To provide guidelines for the initial appointment, employment, and promotion of COHS Clinical Faculty.
2. Policy Statement
Clinical Faculty play a critical role in the professional curricula and are essential to the mission of the University’s academic programs. Flexibility in appointing Clinical Faculty is crucial to designing and maintaining educational programs in traditional classrooms and learning experiences outside the classroom or in clinical settings.
Such flexibility also gives the University the opportunity to recruit and retain highly qualified professionals who bring unique experiences to the University’s educational mission. Clinical Faculty members have teaching, clinical and/or administrative commitments as assigned by their direct supervisor.
3. Definitions:
3.1 Clinical Faculty
Faculty who focus principally on excellence in instruction and engagement. In addition to their instructional responsibilities on campus, Clinical Faculty also may serve as administrators, such as clinical coordinators and/or department chairs or be professionals in a practice site and provide clinical supervision of students; collaborate and develop professional relationships with industry and governmental agencies; and/or supervise internships, service learning and other student activities outside the classroom. While publications, presentations, and grants are not an expectation of clinical track faculty performance, clinical track faculty are encouraged to participate in scholarship that support teaching and practice. They typically serve on committees involving curriculum or program-related issues but may serve on other types of committees depending on department or unit policies. They are eligible for promotion but not tenure.
4. Responsibilities and Procedures
4.1 Titles
All Clinical Faculty must hold appropriate certification/licensure/registration and/or academic credential in their discipline. Departments or units may have additional degree/ certification/ license requirements.
4.1.1. Clinical Instructor
The title granted to newly employed individuals without a graduate clinical/ practical degree who occupy a Clinical Faculty position with clinical, field, lab, or community engagement work experience. No teaching experience is required.
4.1.2. Clinical Assistant Professor
The usual entry-level rank for individuals who hold a graduate clinical/practical degree, have demonstrated experience in a clinical/professional area, and/or have some teaching experience.
4.1.3. Clinical Associate Professor
A rank marking an individual who holds a graduate clinical/practical degree recognized by the discipline. These Clinical Faculty members have a consistent track record of accomplishment as a clinical educator and/or demonstrated leadership in their department/unit or discipline.
4.1.4. Clinical Professor
The rank of professor represents the highest academic achievement and should be reserved for individuals who are demonstrably outstanding among their peers. Thus, a candidate for professor is expected to have achieved additional distinction clearly above that of an associate professor, including a doctoral degree, as well as clear regional and national recognition for their work.
As is the case with academic rank for tenured and tenure-track faculty, titles within the Clinical Faculty series imply a hierarchy of combined education, experience, achievement, and responsibility, with the title of clinical professor corresponding to the highest rank.
4.2 General Administration Topics
4.2.1. Supervision
The department chair or unit supervisor is responsible for the supervision of a member of the Clinical Faculty. The chair or supervisor may delegate supervisory responsibility to an appropriate administrator in the department or unit.
4.2.2. Benefits
Clinical Faculty members are benefit-eligible provided they meet state and university eligibility guidelines.
4.2.3. Sources of Funding
While it is desirable that Clinical Faculty members be supported by state appropriated monies, any combination of funding sources may be used to support the salary of a member of the Clinical Faculty, providing that all policies and regulations of the university and the funding sources are satisfied.
4.2.4. Obligation of the University
Boise State is not obligated to provide salary or program support to a member of the Clinical Faculty except as expressed in the terms of employment.
4.2.5. Voting Privileges
The voting privileges of a member of the Clinical Faculty are determined by policies of the appropriate department or unit but only if these policies are consistent with the policies of the university.
4.2.6. Leave of Absence
A leave of absence may be permitted for up to six months upon the recommendation of the department chair or unit supervisor and the college Dean with approval by the Provost. The leave must comply with all specified university and Idaho State Board of Education policies.
4.3 Appointment
4.3.1. Search Procedure
The initial appointment to an established Clinical Faculty position is made as the result of a search by a department or unit using a search procedure that is defined by the department or unit and is carried out in compliance with university and Idaho State Board of Education policies.
4.3.2. Initial Employment Procedure
The procedure for employing the successful candidate is described in University Policy #4490. The following information should be attached to the normal paperwork:
A. A recommended title and annual salary;
B. A statement of justification for the appointment and salary including the qualifications of the recommended individual (attach resume of candidate);
C. Expectations regarding the teaching assignment, participation in department/unit, college, and university service committees, student advising, administrative duties, possible supervision of graduate students;
D. Agreements regarding the supporting resources and commitments required of the department or unit, the college, and the university, including office space, secretarial and technical support, communications (mail, photocopy, phone, fax, internet), disposable supplies, computer usage, and faculty/staff prices for university-sponsored entertainment events;
E. Other agreements regarding conditions of employment.
4.3.3. Appointment for Renewable, Multi-Year Term
Clinical Faculty members may, at the recommendation of departmental/unit faculty, the department chair or unit supervisor, the dean, and the Provost, and with approval of the State Board of Education, be appointed for a renewable multi-year term per University Policy #4490.
4.3.4. Change from Non-Tenure Track to Tenure Track Appointments
With approval from the chair/supervisor, Dean, and Provost, Clinical Faculty members may change from their non-tenure track position to a tenure track position when it is in the best interest of the department or unit and Boise State. All faculty appointments are subject to approvals as required by Idaho State Board of Education policies.
4.4 Performance Evaluation and Salary Adjustment
4.4.1. Performance Evaluation
Each Clinical Faculty member’s performance is evaluated at least annually by the department chair or unit supervisor using the timelines and procedures defined in University Policy #4290. Emphasis is on teaching, service, professional development, and/or scholarship. More frequent evaluations may be conducted at the discretion of the department chair or unit supervisor. The evaluation must include student evaluations of teaching and service and may include research/scholarship if any of these activities are part of the current year’s activities. As part of the evaluation process, the employee undergoing evaluation shall prepare an annual activity report in a format specified by the department chair or unit supervisor.
4.4.2. Annual Salary Adjustment
Salary adjustments for Clinical Faculty are considered on an annual basis according to procedures and guidelines established by the University for Faculty.
4.5 Promotion
4.5.1. Promotion Guidelines
The College of Health Science recognizes three main areas of Clinical Faculty involvement pertinent to the attainment of the ranks of Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, and Clinical Professor:
- Teaching
- Service /Administration (e.g., Coordinator, Director of Field Education)
- Professional Development and/or Scholarship (per contractual agreement)
Candidates for promotion must meet or exceed expectations in all three areas as dictated by their workload assignments and as prescribed in the appropriate college and department or unit guidelines.
Each department or unit may develop its own Dean-approved promotion guidelines which further define the department or unit’s expectations with regard to teaching, service, professional development and/or scholarship. The department or unit may choose to adopt the college guidelines, or it may develop its own guidelines that further define the department’s expectations regarding teaching, service, professional development and/or scholarship. Those department/unit guidelines shall be used in the college’s tenure and promotion process. Department/unit guidelines shall be consistent with both college and university policies.
Guidelines are used to award promotion of rank, encourage and reward faculty excellence. The guidelines presume that Clinical Faculty members are already highly motivated and that they look to the promotion guidelines for direction as they seek to serve in ways most valuable to the faculty members’ departments/units, colleges, and to the university.
Further, the guidelines provide a link between Clinical Faculty members’ workload assignments and their achievement of promotion. The guidelines must be sufficiently specific to ensure that Clinical Faculty members understand the relationship between the nature of their workload responsibilities and successful attainment of promotion; and also to ensure that the College of Health Science Promotion and Tenure Committee, as well as administrators, can understand these relationships and make judgments that remain consistent even as different people occupy these positions of responsibility. However, the guidelines must also leave ample room for professional judgment on the part of the faculty committee and administrators since each candidate for promotion presents a unique set of characteristics and services to the department/unit, college, and university.
4.5.2. Experience Requirements
With regards to promotion experience requirements, COHS Clinical Faculty Policy follows University Clinical Faculty Policy 4490.
Except under extraordinary circumstances, advancement may not occur before the acquisition of a required number of years of experience as a Clinical Faculty member.
At the time of initial appointment, the department chair or unit supervisor shall make a written recommendation to the college Dean regarding the application of experience at another academic institution and application of professional (non-academic) experience toward the years of experience required for promotion; the Dean is responsible for making the final determination. Professional (non-academic) experience of two years or more in the relevant discipline may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required total experience. University experience requirements are necessary but not sufficient conditions for promotion.
A. For promotion from clinical instructor to clinical assistant professor, a graduate clinical/practical degree and two or more years of full-time experience as a Clinical Faculty member are required (i.e., an application for promotion can be submitted no earlier than during the third full year of employment at Boise State). A Clinical Faculty member may hold the title of clinical instructor for no more than six years measured from the date of initial appointment to rank, excluding FMLA leave. A clinical instructor must therefore be approved for promotion before the end of the sixth year or seek a new position within the university or elsewhere. Maximum time in title does not apply to Clinical Faculty holding the titles of clinical assistant professor, clinical associate professor, or clinical professor.
B. For promotion from clinical assistant professor to clinical associate professor, a graduate clinical/practical degree is required as defined by the department or unit. Also, five years of full-time experience as a Clinical Faculty member, or other full-time faculty experience in a similar position granted upon hire, is required.
C. For promotion from clinical associate professor to clinical professor, a doctoral degree is required with the candidate regarded as a regional or national authority in the relevant discipline. A minimum of eight years of full-time experience as a Clinical Faculty member or other full-time faculty experience in a similar position is required. (see University Clinical Faculty Policy 4490)
4.5.3. Promotion Folder
Faculty being reviewed should provide the COHS Promotion and Tenure committee with materials demonstrating that they meet or exceed the expectations for teaching, service/administrative activities, and professional preparation/development. The promotion folder must have a table of contents and contain at least the following documentation (see Office of the Provost for more specific guidance on promotion folder (binder) contents):
A. a letter from the applicant requesting promotion,
B. a comprehensive vita,
C. a concise summary that includes workload allocation and evidence that describes how they have met or exceeded the requirements for promotion for teaching, service/administrative activities and professional development and/or scholarship (per contractual agreement)
D. student evaluations of teaching for at least the previous three years,
E. all annual evaluations,
F. a copy of the job description for the position to include any applicable administrative roles, e.g. Coordinator, Director of Field Education.
G. letters as indicated in section 4.5.4.
H. a copy of the promotion policy the candidate is applying under
4.5.4. Promotion Criteria by Rank
A. Promotion to Clinical Assistant Professor – The candidate shall be evaluated on the following criteria:
a. All Clinical Faculty must hold appropriate certification/licensure/registration and/or academic credential in their disciplines. Departments or units may have additional degree/ certification/ license requirements.
b. Letters of support from at least two colleagues holding clinical or tenure-track faculty appointments at the University.
i. Letters will be solicited by the candidate and should address the candidate’s record of teaching, service, and collegiality
c. Teaching – Faculty being reviewed should provide the committee with materials demonstrating that they meet or exceed the expectations for teaching.
i. Evidence must include:
- A narrative discussion of teaching philosophy, methods (e.g., online, clinical teaching, clinical instruction-on or off campus, etc.), development of technical skills pertinent to teaching, and outcomes,
- Student evaluations of teaching—provide a narrative that explains low scores and/or outlines actions taken to improve these.
- Annual performance evaluations by department chair or unit supervisor
ii. Additional evidence may include but not limited to:
- Course structure (e.g., course syllabi, assignments, exams, handouts, and other evidence of encouraging creative and analytical thinking)
- Portfolio of sample student work
- Teaching peer observations
- Development, revision and assessment of curriculum.
d. Service / Administration – Candidates applying for promotion must demonstrate how they meet or exceed expectations of commitment to serving Boise State University, their profession, and the community. This type of commitment is demonstrated by service to students (such as advising); participation and leadership in department/unit, college, or university committees, the faculty senate, and professional organizations; and, as appropriate to their discipline, affairs of the local, state, or national community.
i. Evidence may include but not limited to:
- Number of advisees and descriptions of service to advisees
- Reviewer of abstracts or conference journals
- Chair or member of conference organizing committee
- Service or offices held within a professional organization
- Consulting
- Publication of clinical handbooks, textbooks, or chapters in clinical textbooks
- Production of videos or other multimedia materials on clinical instruction
- Appointment or election to leadership positions in professional organizations
- Awards and honors from professional organizations
- Service on unit or department, college, and/or university committees
- Advisor to student organization
- Administrative duties or special projects
- Community service
- Community presentations/trainings
e. Professional Development and/or Scholarship (per contractual agreement)
i. Evidence may include but not limited to:
- Publications in peer-reviewed or non-peer reviewed journals, as specified by the department/unit, that discusses clinical techniques/practice, methods or standards in clinical supervision or practice
- Participation in teaching and/or clinical practice conferences and workshops
- Development of technology/pedagogical skills pertinent to teaching
- Visits to comparable institutions (e.g. site visits for benchmarking, participation on accreditation team, etc)
- Earning additional clinical credentials/certifications/degrees and/or taking applicable coursework.
- Technical, procedural or practical innovations made clinically or professionally
- Educational work resulting in findings disseminated at professional conferences and/or in peer-reviewed publications
- Grant applications and extramural funding for innovative teaching methods, to support instructional activities.
- Direction or mentoring of graduate and undergraduate student research.
- Development of visual and other teaching materials (including edited anthologies, textbooks and software) implemented in the classroom or disseminated through publications, papers or non-print form, including the production of videos for instruction
B. Promotion to Clinical Associate Professor – Candidates will be evaluated based on the above criteria required of the Clinical Assistant Professor. Additionally, the promotion folder must also include:
a. Evidence that the faculty member has a consistent track record of accomplishment as a clinical faculty member
b. Evidence of leadership in their department/unit or discipline
C. Promotion to Clinical Professor – Candidates will be evaluated based on the above criteria required of the Clinical Assistant / Associate Professor. Additionally, the promotion folder must also include:
a. Evidence that the candidate is regarded as a regional or national authority in the relevant discipline
b. External letters of review from three leaders in the relevant discipline are required to support and document teaching and service achievements commensurate with this rank. Please refer to the following guidance on the process for obtaining external letters of review:
i. When notifying the department chair or unit supervisor of their intent to apply for promotion the candidate will provide a list of at least three potential external reviewers from other institutions. Reviewers should be sufficiently independent of the candidate to provide fair and impartial reviews; they should not normally include mentors or recent collaborators of the candidate. The candidate may also identify individuals that shall be excluded as reviewers. In the event that the department chair or unit supervisor is applying for promotion, the Dean, or designee, shall take the place of the department chair or unit supervisor in the promotion process. The qualifications of the reviewers selected shall be documented and any relationships to the candidate disclosed. The candidate shall not contact the reviewer in connection with their candidacy.
ii. Beyond considering the three potential external reviewers from the candidate, the department chair or unit supervisor should solicit external reviewer names from other faculty in the department/unit. The department chair or unit supervisor is responsible for obtaining a minimum of three external letters for a promotion candidate’s application and determining which potential external reviewers are asked to ultimately provide letters. At least one external reviewer shall come from a recommendation other than provided by the candidate.
iii. Invitations sent to external reviewers by the department chair or unit supervisor should clearly state that reviews shall not be made available to the candidate. The invitations should clearly delineate the scope of the review with a focus on professional service and contributions to the discipline. Specifically, the external reviewer shall be asked to comment on the level of productivity and significance of the candidate’s disciplinary contributions as well as recognition and impact of the candidate’s disciplinary contributions at regional, national, or international levels. While scholarly contributions are not expected or required of a clinical track faculty member, the external reviewer may also comment on the candidate’s scholarly activity if applicable. The candidate’s curriculum vitae will be made available to the reviewer.
4.5.5. Promotion Criteria by Rank
The College Promotion and Tenure Committee is comprised of the existing Promotion & Tenure committee from the College’s departments and units plus one Clinical Faculty member of at least clinical associate rank, and if possible, a Clinical Faculty from the applicant’s unit/department, or related field when a Clinical Faculty is to be considered for promotion. A candidate for promotion cannot serve on this committee during the year they apply for promotion. Clinical Faculty may not evaluate the promotion or tenure activities of tenured or tenure-track faculty. See University Policy #4340 Promotion and Tenure and University Policy # 7000 for details.
4.5.6. Procedure and Timelines
The following procedure and timelines closely follow the promotion guidelines for tenured and tenure-track faculty described in University Policy #4340. All approved department/unit, college, and University tenure and promotion guidelines in effect on April 1 shall apply to the application. Changes to those guidelines after April 1 shall not apply to the current application.
A. Candidates for promotion must notify their departments/units that they plan to apply no later than April 1 of the year they plan to put forward their application.
B. Candidates and department chairs/unit supervisors will coordinate the submission of appropriate materials to facilitate the completion of the external reviews in a timely manner.
C. The candidate for promotion submits to the department chair/unit supervisor a promotion folder by September 15
D. During the month of September, faculty on the department/unit committee review the promotion folder and provide written input and recommendation to the chair or supervisor. Each department/unit may determine the composition of their promotion review committee for Clinical Faculty.
E. The chair/supervisor forwards the promotion folder along with their recommendation, any clarification that may be required on the applicant’s specific responsibilities, and the written input and recommendation from the department/unit Promotion and Tenure committee to the COHS Promotion and Tenure Committee by October 15. Copies of both the chair/supervisor and department/unit committee recommendations are provided to the candidate.
F. The COHS Promotion and Tenure Committee reviewing the Clinical Faculty for promotion will review and make a recommendation to the Dean, and notify the applicant of that recommendation no later than December 1. In the case of a recommendation to deny promotion, the candidate may request a meeting with the committee. The request must be made within five working days of the notification of denial, and the meeting must occur within five working days of the request for a meeting.
G. The COHS Promotion and Tenure Committee reviewing the Clinical Faculty for promotion shall forward all documents and its recommendation to the college Dean by December 15.
H. The college Dean reviews the promotion packet and notifies the candidate of their recommendation by January 15. In the case of a recommendation to deny promotion, the candidate may request a meeting with the Dean. The request must be made within five working days of the notification of denial, and the meeting must occur within five working days of the request for a meeting. The Dean forwards the promotion packet with their recommendation to the Provost by January 31.
I. The Provost reviews the promotion packet. The President, in consultation with the Provost, makes their decision to grant or deny promotion and notifies the candidate of the decision by March 1. In the case of a decision to deny promotion, the candidate may request a meeting with the President. The request must be made within five working days of the notification of denial, and the meeting must occur within five working days of the request for a meeting.
J. A candidate may withdraw from consideration for promotion at any time in the above process.
K. If the promotion is approved by the President, the President notifies the candidate by April 15th.
4.5.7 Salary Enhancement
The salary enhancement for promotion of a member of the Clinical Faculty is the same as for promotion of a member of the tenured and tenure-track faculty for comparable ranks.
Related Information:
University Policy 4290 (Annual Faculty Performance Evaluation)
University Policy 4340 (Faculty Tenure and Promotion Guidelines)